Kylian Mbappé has opened up a two-goal lead over Lionel Messi in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot race, taking his tournament tally to 10 after scoring twice for France in their 6-4 third-place play-off defeat to England.

Messi, sitting on eight goals, must score twice against Spain in Sunday's World Cup final if he is to draw level — or surpass — Mbappé at the top of the standings. Both players are also tied on four assists, the tiebreaker used should the goal tallies finish equal.

Record books rewritten

Mbappé's latest brace does more than boost his Golden Boot credentials. With 22 World Cup goals in total across his career, he is now the outright all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, having overtaken Miroslav Klose, who arrived at this tournament on 16 goals.

Messi has also surpassed Klose's previous record, meaning two players from this generation have eclipsed the ex-Germany striker's long-standing mark.

Further down the Golden Boot standings, eliminated players Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham finished the tournament on seven goals apiece, while Harry Kane ended his campaign on six.

Messi's road to the final

Argentina's captain produced a remarkable run of form in the knockout stages. After missing a penalty against Egypt, Messi helped orchestrate a historic comeback, netting three goals in the final 13 minutes to send Argentina into the quarter-finals. He could not add to his tally in the subsequent win over Switzerland.

Mbappé endured a strikingly similar moment against Morocco in the quarter-finals, missing from the spot before recovering to give France the lead after the hour mark — an echo of Messi's earlier experience. Bellingham, meanwhile, had earlier stamped his authority on the tournament with a two-goal showing against Mexico.

Chasing Fontaine's record

The Golden Boot contenders have had their sights on Just Fontaine's 1958 single-tournament record of 13 goals. Only three players in World Cup history have ever reached double figures at a single tournament: Fontaine himself, Germany's Gerd Muller in 1970, and Hungary's Sandor Kocsis in 1954.

With Mbappé on 10 and Messi potentially adding to his eight in the final, that elite list could grow — or at the very least be challenged — before the tournament concludes on Sunday.

Other records broken at World Cup 2026

Beyond the Golden Boot race, FIFA World Cup 2026 has been a tournament of milestones. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo each played in their sixth World Cup, a record no other player has matched. Ronaldo became the first player to score in six separate World Cup tournaments, and also set the record as the oldest player to score multiple goals in a single game.

Off the pitch, Curacao became the smallest nation ever to appear at a World Cup, while the Mexico vs South Africa opening match set a record for the most red cards in a tournament opener with three. The 2026 edition has also become the most-attended and highest-scoring World Cup in history.